Will 2019 See a Return of the Duckie? It was once a regular occurrence, Duckie season. Not for the last couple of years though. Changing weather patterns with wetter summers had almost appeared to make Duckie season extinct. No more people ringing and asking whether they could book a Duckie trip but cancel it [...]

The River Valley Extended Family Ripples Have you ever thrown a small stone into a pond of clear water and watched the ripples spread outwards? Just a small stone can send those ripples out to the far reaches of the pond. None of the surface of the pond is unaffected. From time to time [...]

What’s in a “Job”? Last Sunday I guided a relaxing day rafting trip on the section of the Rangitikei River we call “The Awesome Scenic Adventure”. The sun was shining, the water warm, the two families were nice people. Life was good. Did I make a fortune from being a river guide that day? [...]

Topsoil by Another Name? Christmas Eve night was wet here in Pukeokahu, east of Taihape on the central North Island of New Zealand. The rain was part of a weather pattern that had hung around for a few days. This weather pattern consisted of heat build ups during the day followed by afternoon or [...]

So, What Is in These Names? Following last weeks blog which gave a brief history of some of the rapid names on the popular Grade 5 white water section of the Rangitikei River, I have had some feedback about my understanding of the history of those names, and some clarification on who and why [...]

What's In A Name? On every river throughout the world where rafting, canoeing and kayaking takes place, rapids have been named. These names, the origins of which have sometimes been lost, often tell a story of an incident, while others are named after a natural rock or water feature. These stories offer glimpses into [...]

For people with limited time, which 1 day rafting experience do we recommend? River Valley offer two half day or day rafting trips. The first of these is the half day Grade 5 section of the Rangitikei River. If excitement and adrenaline is what you after, then this is the trip for you. This [...]

What shall it be today? A 4.6m 8 person Incept self bailing raft? A 3.8m 6 person Incept self bailing raft? Maybe an Inflatable kayak? Or what about a hand crafted wooden river dory? River Valley Trip leaders make these decisions each day, which of a range of different boats is the most suitable on [...]

Heading out this morning was our last multi day river trip of the season, a 5 day Rangitikei River Explorer. While our seasonal window for multi day trips runs for another 3 weeks, it would take a late short notice booking to see another go out. Where has the summer gone? It seems only yesterday, [...]